Current Affairs Today

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs August 12 2026, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2026 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

MHI Amends PM E-DRIVE; e-2W Incentive Capped at Rs 5,000 Till FY28 
In August 2026, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) amended the Prime Minister’s Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme, reducing the incentive for electric two-wheelers (e-2W) to Rs 2,500 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (capped at Rs 5,000 per vehicle) for April 2025–March 2028.
About PM E-DRIVE Scheme:
Overview: The PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme promotes faster electric vehicle adoption, charging infrastructure development and growth of the electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem.
Launch: The scheme was notified on September 29, 2024 and initially covered a two-year period, with its implementation subsequently extended up to March 31, 2028.
Allocation: The PM E-DRIVE Scheme has a total outlay of Rs 11,900 crore, including Rs 2,767 crore in fund support for up to 45,79,120 registered electric two-wheelers and Rs 55 crore for administrative expenses.

10 Years of GeM: Union Minister Piyush Goyal Awards Top buyers and Sellers on GeM platform in New Delhi, Delhi
In August 2026, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) awarded top buyers from various central ministries and departments and state government departments, and  leading sellers for their exemplary contribution to strengthening the public procurement ecosystem on the occasion of 10th foundation day celebration of Government e Marketplace (GeM), organised at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi.

• While addressing the event, Union Minister Goyal emphasized for a more user-friendly and Artificial Intelligence(AI)-enabled GeM with the objective of making public procurement more efficient, transparent, cost-effective and competitive as the platform entered its second decade.

Key Highlights:
Key Launches:  The event witnessed the launch of key initiatives to boost GeM:

• Helpdesk Number: GeM launched a nationwide five-digit short code, 14550, for its helpdesk services. The new number is virtually mapped to GeM’s existing helpdesk infrastructure and is aimed to provide buyers, sellers and other stakeholders an easier access support and identify official communication.
• A customised ‘My Stamp’: The newly launched commemorative stamp highlights the platform’s contribution to digital governance, Ease of Doing Business (EoD) and the promotion of Indian enterprises in public procurement.

Film on GeM 10 year’s journey: The foundation day programme also featured the screening of a film documenting the 10-year-long journey of  GeM journey and its transformation and growing impact across the country.

PLFS Released Quarterly Bulletin (April-June 2026), Unemployment Rate at 5.4% 
In August 2026, the National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoS&PI) released the Quarterly Bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for April-June 2026.

• The Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons aged 15 years and above rose to 5.4% in the April-June 2026 quarter, up 0.4% from the previous quarter.

LFPR Key Findings
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): The overall LFPR for persons of age 15 years and above stood at 54.6% in the quarter April-June, 2026 as compared to 55.5% observed in the previous quarter.
Rural LFPR: Rural LFPR for persons of age 15 years and above observed as 56.9% in the current quarter compared with 58.2% in the previous quarter.
Urban LFPR: Urban LFPR for persons of age 15 years and above remains unchanged at 50.2% in April-June, 2026.

Ministry of MSME and DPIIT Sign MoU to Accelerate Commercialisation of GI Products; Launch ‘Bharat GI’ Banner
In August 2026, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry(MoC&I), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi, to accelerate the commercialisation, quality standardisation and market access of India’s Geographical Indication (GI) products.

• The MoU was signed by Md. Salik Parwaiz, Director, MoMSME, and Karan Thapar, Director, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Division, DPIIT.

Key Details of MoU:
Objective: The MoU aims to accelerate the commercialisation, standardisation and market reach of Indian GI products, support artisans, weavers and producers, and strengthen the One District One Product (ODOP) ecosystem.
Joint Initiatives: Both organisations will integrate ODOP into their programmes, facilitate GI collectives and authorised users on ONDC and GeM under the “Bharat GI” banner, and promote GI products through dedicated pavilions at national and international trade events.
Significance: The MoU aligns DPIIT’s IP protection mandate with the MSME Ministry’s enterprise development mandate to strengthen India’s GI ecosystem.

Union  Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Launches NSP-Based Scholarship & Fellowship Disbursement Initiative for Agriculture Students
In August 2026, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoAFW), released scholarship and fellowship funds for agriculture students through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), Pusa, in New Delhi, Delhi.

• Under the initiative, Rs 21.35 crore was disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) directly to the bank accounts of more than 6,000 students.

Key Details of NSP Initiative:
Aim: To make the scholarship disbursement process more streamlined and ensure hassle-free manner financial assistance.
Disbursement Mechanism: Under the newly launched initiative, agriculture students will now receive their scholarship amounts every month through DBT without facing unnecessary difficulties or delays.
Key Focus: The new initiative will focus on integrating agricultural education with technology, practical training and industry orientation to prepare students for emerging challenges in the agriculture sector.
ICAR-IARI: Established as the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) in Pusa, Bihar, in 1905, it was shifted to Delhi in 1936 and renamed IARI after Independence. It is administered by the ICAR.

NABL Launches India’s First Accreditation Scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories 
In August 2026, the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a constituent board of the Quality Council of India (QCI), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) , launched India’s first Accreditation Scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories under the Integrated Assessment Programme.

• The scheme was launched during the “Gunvatta Samanvaya – A Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony” held at Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi, Delhi.

Key Highlights of the India’s First Accreditation Scheme:
Dignitaries: The event was attended by Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary of DPIIT; Dr Sandip Shah, Chairperson of NABL; and Chakravarthy T. Kannan, Secretary General of QCI.
Testing: The scheme enables mobile food testing laboratories to provide reliable, quality-assured and internationally benchmarked testing services closer to communities.
Food Safety:  The initiative strengthens food safety surveillance, improves access to testing facilities, enables faster regulatory action and enhances consumer confidence.
Framework: The scheme under NABL’s Integrated Assessment Programme (IAP) promotes efficient assessments, mutual recognition and regulatory convergence through multilateral MoU exchange.
About NABL: Established in 1998, headquartered in New Delhi, India. It is headed by Dr Sandip Shah (Chairperson, NABL).

MoSPI Signs 2 MoUs with IDEAS, ISI Kolkata to Strengthen Data-Driven Statistical Analysis
On August 10 2026, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Institute of Data Engineering, Analytics and Science Foundation (IDEAS), Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata, West Bengal (WB) to undertake research studies and strengthen data-driven statistical analysis.

• The MoU was signed by Agnimitra Biswas, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IDEAS, and Prasoon Verma, Director, Training Unit, Capacity Development Division, MoSPI.

Key Details of MoU:
Aim: The collaboration aims to develop innovative data tools, harmonise statistical indicators, and strengthen evidence-based policymaking in line with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’.
Platform: The initiative will create a knowledge-sharing platform between MoSPI and IDEAS, with MoSPI providing financial and data support.
Research Tools: IDEAS will develop a desktop-based GDP (Gross Domestic Product) nowcasting tool and a harmonised indicator framework linking government scheme data with NSS (National Sample Survey) household data.
About Indian Statistical Institute (ISI): Founded on 17 December 1931 by Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, ISI is headquartered in Kolkata and was declared an Institute of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in 1959.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Donates Five Peacocks to UNOG Including Rare White-Feathered Male
In August 2026, the Government of India (GoI), through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), donated five peacocks to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), Geneva, Switzerland, reviving a historic tradition linked to Ariana Park and UN heritage.

• The initiative highlights India’s natural heritage and commitment to global environmental stewardship, with the group comprising four blue peafowl and one white-feathered male symbolizing the UNs blue and white colours.

About India’s Peacock Donation to UNOG: 
Ceremony: The birds were formally handed over by Arindam Bagchi, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, to Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General (DG) of the UNOG.
Habitat: The peacocks will remain in an enclosed aviary for about three months before being released into the 46-hectare Ariana Park within the UN premises in Geneva.
Background: This marks India’s second such contribution after the 1981 donation by former Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi, who sent a breeding pair from Delhi Zoo.
Tradition: Peacocks have inhabited Ariana Park for over a century, a tradition dating back to 1890 when Gustave Revilliod bequeathed the estate to the City of Geneva, with care now overseen by the Geneva Bioparc zoo and UN staff.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Airtel Business Partners ITI Limited for Enterprise Digital Transformation Solutions in India 
In August 2026, Airtel Business, the enterprise arm of Bharti Airtel, and ITI Limited entered into a strategic collaboration to accelerate enterprise digital transformation, strengthen digital infrastructure in India.

• The partnership was highlighted by Rajesh Rai, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), ITI Limited, and Sharat Sinha, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Airtel Business.

Highlights of the Partnership:
Objective:  The partnership combines Airtel Business’s enterprise connectivity and digital technology capabilities with ITI Limited’s engineering and manufacturing expertise to deliver scalable solutions.
Digital Ecosystem:   The collaboration will provide solutions across enterprise connectivity, data centres, sovereign cloud services, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services.
Infrastructure & Sector Support:  The initiative will strengthen secure infrastructure through Optical Fibre Cable (OFC), Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON), Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) and private 4G/5G networks.

• It supports sectors like banking, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), defence and security while promoting Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

About ITI Limited:  ITI Limited, established in 1948, is India’s first telecom PSU, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka

Adani Airport City, Step Down Subsidiary of AEL Incorporates AACL Global IFSC 
In August 2026, Adani Airport City Limited (AACL), a step down wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), incorporated AACL Global IFSC Limited as a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL).

• The new entity was originally incorporated on July 15 2026, while Adanu Airport City received the certification of incorporation on August 5 2026.

Key Details:
Regulated  by: The newly incorporated AAHL Global IFSC Limited  will operate as a Global Treasury Centre under the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) (Finance Company) Regulations, 2021.
Key Mandate: The new entity is authorised to undertake treasury and finance-related activities that are permitted under the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) regulations.
Paid-up Capital: The new entity was incorporated with a paid-up capital of Rs 5 lakh, comprising 50,000 equity shares with a face value of Rs 10 each.
About AAHL: Incorporated in August 2019, AAHL is India’s largest private airport operator under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Padma Bhushan Awardee Physicist Deepak Dhar wins Dirac Medal 2026
In August 2026, renowned Indian theoretical physicist Professor Padma Bhushan Deepak Dhar was awarded the 2026 Dirac Medal by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) for his outstanding contributions to theoretical and statistical mechanics.

• He became the first Indian physicist to receive the Dirac Medal
• He shared the award with Bernard Derrida of France, Marc Mézard of Italy, and Haim Sompolinsky of Israel and the United States.

About Deepak Dhar:
Profile: He is an eminent Indian physicist known for his pioneering contributions to statistical physics, stochastic processes, and the study of phase transitions.
Academic Associations: He served at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, Maharashtra, worked as a Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Maharashtra and was associated with the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Dhar’s Burning Algorithm: It is widely applied in modelling diverse non-equilibrium phenomena, including earthquakes, traffic congestion, financial market fluctuations, and neural network dynamics.
2026 Dirac Medal citation: It recognised contributions to equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, optimisation, theoretical neuroscience, and artificial intelligence.

V.O. C Port Becomes India’s First Port to Receive ISO 50001:2018 Certification for Energy Management
In August 2026, the V.O. Chidambaranar (V.O.C.) Port Authority, located in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu (TN), became the first port in India to receive International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 50001:2018 certification for Energy Management System (EnMS) by the Indian Register Quality Systems (IRQS).

• The port was also accredited by Bureau Veritas as a Scope-2 Emission-Free Port, with renewable sources meeting 93.89% of its electricity needs in the Financial Year (FY26).

About ISO 50001:2018 Certification:
Certification: An international standard for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an EnMS.
Criteria: A port can achieve zero Scope-2 emissions when its renewable energy generation exceeds its total electricity consumption during a specified period.
Scope-2 Emissions: These are indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with purchased electricity, steam, heating, or cooling.
About ISO: Established in 1947 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, ISO develops international standards for quality, environmental, energy management, safety, and industrial processes.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Vietnam’s VinSpace Signs SpaceX Launch Deal for 2027 Transporter Rideshare Mission
In August 2026, VinSpace, the aerospace unit of Vingroup, Vietnam, signed a launch agreement with SpaceX, to deploy its first satellites via a Transporter Rideshare Mission in 2027, supporting Vietnam’s space capability development through cost-effective shared launches.
About VinSpace–SpaceX Satellite Launch Deal  
Objective: The project aims to build indigenous space capabilities, enhance satellite engineering expertise, and create a foundation for future commercial applications and international collaborations in the space sector.
Features: The agreement utilizes SpaceX’s Transporter rideshare model, allowing multiple payloads on a single Falcon 9 launch, reducing costs while enabling efficient access to orbit for small satellite developers.
Implementation: VinSpace will manage the complete satellite lifecycle, including design, assembly, integration, testing, launch coordination and in-orbit operations, ensuring full control over mission execution and data services.
About VinSpace: VinSpace, founded on November 3, 2025, and headquartered in Hanoi, Vietnam, is focused on developing comprehensive satellite capabilities across research, manufacturing, testing, launch, and operations.

• The company is led by Vu Trong Thu, who serves as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director General (DG).

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Steelpan Day 2026 – August 11 
The United Nations (UN’s) World Steelpan Day is observed annually across the world on 11 August to recognise the cultural and historical importance of the Steelpan, the national musical instrument of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), and its contribution to sustainable development.

• 11 August 2026 marks the 4th edition of World Steelpan Day.

Background:
Recognition:  In 2022, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago(T&T) proposed the observance of World Steelpan Day to the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO).
Adoption:  On 24 July 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution A/RES/77/316, officially declaring 11 August as World Steelpan Day.
First Observance:  The first World Steelpan Day was observed on 11 August 2023.
Pan Month: Since 1992, Pan Trinbago Inc. T.C. has celebrated Pan Month(Steelpan Month) every August to honour the steelpan, the national instrument of T&T.

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